Matrix Algebra

Linear algebra is something all mathematics undergraduates and many other students, in subjects ranging from engineering to economics, have to learn. The fifth edition of this hugely successful textbook retains the quality of earlier editions while at the same time seeing numerous minor improvements and major additions. The latter include: a new chapter on singular values and singular vectors, including ways to analyze a matrix of data; a revised chapter on computing in linear algebra, with professional-level algorithms and code that can be downloaded for a variety of languages; a new section on linear algebra and cryptography; and a new chapter on linear algebra in probability and statistics. A dedicated and active website also offers solutions to exercises as well as new exercises from many different sources (e.g. practice problems, exams, development of textbook examples), plus codes in MATLAB, Julia, and Python.

The renowned mathematician and educator Gilbert Strang presents a collection of expository papers on the theory and applications of linear algebra, accompanied by video lectures on http://ocw.mit.edu. The essays are diverse in scope and range from purely theoretical studies on deep fundamental principles of matrix algebra to discussions on the teaching of calculus and an examination of the mathematical foundations of aspects of computational engineering. One thing these essays have in common is the way that they express both the importance and the beauty of the subject, as well as the author's passion for mathematics. This text will be of practical use to students and researchers across a whole spectrum of numerate disciplines. Furthermore, this collection provides a unique perspective on mathematics and the communication thereof as a human endeavour, complemented as these essays are by commentary from the author regarding their provenance and the reaction to them.